Thank you for joining me on this journey. It's never been easy, and I don't ever expect it to be. There may be times when you don't agree with me, and that's OK. Never be afraid to share your feelings with me, that's what I'm here for and what has kept me going. I'm not a licensed professional, but I have more than 20 years experience with mental illness.
You can find our podcast, Voices for Change 2.0 at
www.blogtalkradio.com/leftofstr8

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Guest Post - Dealing with Depression and Anxiety by Ravinder Kaur

Today I have the pleasure of adding another guest post to my site. Rav from the website What She Says has allowed me to share her experiences with depression. If you haven't ever stop by www.whatshesays.net, give it a shot. It's a great site with a little something for everyone.

Thanks for sharing, Rav!

Having
depression and anxiety issues can be really difficult to deal with and really
difficult to explain to people who haven't had to deal with it themselves. But
if you allow it to, it can also teach you a lot about yourself and aid you in
helping others. This blog post outlines what helped me before I can help anyone
else. I hope this helps you!

Know
what you need

This
isn't something you will instantly know but figure out what works for you the
most. When I've had anxiety attacks I prefer to take time out, be alone, talk
myself down and deep big
breaths. I find being surrounded by people, including friends and family,
elevates my anxiety further. However when I'm having a low (feeling depressed) I
find time alone will make me feel much worse, in this instance I prefer getting
up and out.

Figure
the causes

Has
something triggered your anxiety or depression? Is it the people around you, is
it something you've just seen, is it the colour of your nail polish, is it that
your house needs a clean? See whether you can either take yourself away from the
situation or deal with it if it's in your control. Once you've established the
cause it can be much easier to deal with the cause or to avoid it causing you
further distress.

Who
do you have around you

I
always found it really difficult being around 2 types of people: the people who
did not understand at all (these people told me I was too young to even be
depressed and would tell me to grow up and get over it) or the people who would
sympathise too much (yes this is also possible). Remember you can change your
friends but you can't change your family so it may not be as simple as finding a
new group of people to surround yourself with. Maybe the people around you don't
understand how you feel but if you reach out you might find just the person or
people you need e.g. helplines, people online (including us bloggers),
counselling. You never have to feel alone!

What
makes you happy

What
honestly makes you happy? This may change time to time, what you may have
enjoyed previously could be what you need a change from - so ask yourself the
question and see whether you can make any changes to make you feel happier.
First think of the small things; should you join the gym, start running, start
reading books, going out for a coffee on your own or with a friend, going for
walks to clear your head, blogging or knitting. These activities could change
your whole lifestyle. Now think big, are you happy with your career? Are you
being treated right by your partner? Are you happy with where you live?

How
can you help

When
I first got diagnosed with depression and the anxiety attacks started, I had
absolutely no idea how to deal with it. With time I have learnt how to deal with
it enough to allow myself live my life, of course not everything is all dandy
but I now know how to deal with my anxiety without fainting or blacking out. So
although it can be absolutely horrible to deal with, you have the ability to
learn about yourself, to put yourself first and try become happier in your life,
share your experiences and help the people around you.

Pretend
you can step away from yourself and look back in... What do you see? What would
you like to see? Can you change anything?

Bio:

My name is Rav and I'm 21 years old. I first got diagnosed with depression
when I was too young to even fully understand it. I used to faint whenever my
anxiety was at it's worst which in turn made me paranoid about fainting in the
streets, school and college! With the years gone by I've learnt to manage my
depression and anxiety and wish the same for anyone else suffering from it.
Aside from this, I work in an insurance company and blog about light-hearted
subjects such as entertainment, beauty and fashion.

About Me

I have been happily married to the man of my dreams for 15 years. We have 5 cats that we adore, and a little house that we are renovating. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder at 19. It has been a constant struggle in my life, and has caused a great deal of turmoil.

Despite my illness, my husband has stayed by my side and I have learned to grow from my challenges. I am now a published author and my book is available on Amazon!